Working Safely on an Import at Home

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Tuning an import for drag or street racing often means working in a home garage. Although it may seem easy, safety precautions should be taken.

Clothes should be reasonably well-fitting. Loose clothing can easily be trapped or caught. The same goes for wearing jewelry, particularly bracelets or necklaces. Boots or shoes with a non-slip sole can prevent falls from oil or other vehicle fluids. When working with chemicals or welding, protective clothing should be donned.

Depending on the work, different types of gloves should be worn. Grinding or welding needs a heavy protective glove. For chemical work, vinyl or polyurethane gloves should be chosen.

Also for chemical work, a respirator may be necessary. Even with an open garage, fumes can overwhelm a person within minutes. Some vehicle chemicals may cause neurological damage if inhaled in large amounts.

Eye protection is vital. Safety goggles should completely enclose the eyes. Splash goggles or a full-face shield should be worn for working on air conditioning systems. When welding, wear a shield to protect the eyes.

Ear protection should be worn when using noisy equipment or power tools. In the confines of a garage, excess noise can quickly deafen a person. Even striking metal repeatedly with a hammer or mallet can produce hearing loss.

When working with a vehicle on a jack, always notify a third party. Keep a backup jack in place for extra security. A jack failure can result in a vehicle slipping and crushing the tuner.

By taking some basic precautions, import tuners can save money on medical fees and spend it on their import. A polished import is of no use to an injured driver. Keep safety equipment (such as a fire extinguisher) handy and in usable condition. Simple preparations can save time, money, and personal health down the line.

The Affordable Past of Import Sports Cars

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Today’s import sports cars have some of the cleanest lines and most efficient engines. At the same time, they haven’t sacrificed power and performance. There is a draw back, however, and it’s the price tag. Most of the import sports cars fall out of reach for the average person’s pocketbook. The good news is that there are plenty of used cars that are affordable and quickly becoming classics. One in particular is a car I have owned for ten years now, a 1993 Mitsubishi 3000GT-SL.

When I bought the car it was already seven years old, but far from being outdated. The first year for production was in 1991 and in my opinion, the car was way ahead of its time. The GT and GT-SL models came with such equipment as the electronic suspension, which gave you the option of stiffening the suspension with a push of a button. The SL had climate control, power everything, leather, and all sorts of other goodies. It even had powered bolsters on the driver’s seat so you could adjust how tightly you wanted the seats to grab you while the tires grabbed the asphalt. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on the top model, the VR-4, you obtained all those goodies and then some. The VR-4 came with a twin turbo V-6, AWD drivetrain, and all-wheel steering. This combination would perfect the car’s ability to transfer its 320HP onto the road. Mitsubishi didn’t stop there, though. They also added an electronic exhaust that gave the “pilot” the ability to push a button and turn on sport mode. This caused a motorized baffle in the exhaust pipe to open up and allow more air to exit. This may be a common feature on today’s sports cars but it was ground breaking in 1991. The proverbial “cherry on top” was the electronically controlled spoiler that adjusted its angle according to your speed. That’s quite a list for a sports car in 1991. Even today, you’ll be hard pressed to find a sports car, import or domestic, that incorporates all these features at an affordable price.

The true beauty of the 3000GT is that these days you can have one in your garage for around three to five thousand dollars. I’m not talking about one that doesn’t run and needs lots of cosmetic work. I’m talking about a well-maintained model that would fit the average description of “good” according to the used car pricing books. If you do want a 3000GT in your garage, you better act fast as the car has passed the age of devaluing. In the last two years the values have shifted and began to climb, as the car is quickly becoming a classic.

Tuning an Import

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Imports are popular cars for street and sport racing. A used import typically has a low purchase price, making it perfect for younger drivers. The wide variety of performance parts available means owners can tune an import without making a substantial investment. Some aftermarket products may not provide improvement in car performance due to incompatibility. Research parts carefully beforehand.

Lightening a car improves a car’s acceleration and top speed. Carbon fiber composite parts are popular, particularly hoods. A carbon fiber hood will typically retail between $400 to $700. Depending upon the need for passengers and luggage, stripping out seats can lighten an import dramatically.

Replacing a stock suspension system will provide better cornering and all-around handling. Springs, shocks, stabilizer bars, and more can all be swapped for superior aftermarket products. However, it may not be as important for drivers who will be drag racing in a straight line.

A stroker kit expands engine displacement. This translates into more horsepower. Installing a stroker kit requires an above-average amount of automotive knowledge. It may produce additional wear on the engine.

As one of the more expensive options, a turbo kit upgrades an import with additional horsepower and torque. In the simplest terms, a turbo kit generally converts exhaust into power. Depending upon the options chosen, a turbo kit can start at $1,000 and easily reach $5,000.

For a younger driver, an import offers the chance to customize a car on a budget. Import owners looking to start street or sport racing should choose the best quality performance parts. Street and sport racing can be hard on a car. Choosing professional quality parts helps to ensure an import will perform its best. For street racers, some tuning products may be illegal in certain jurisdictions. Checking with authorities before installation will prevent legal difficulties.

The Big Three Return to the Street Racing Scene With a Vengeance

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Detroit is well known for producing some of the most powerful vehicles to have ever ruled the roadways, but most people associate street racing with foreign cars. Why? Primarily because the once-powerful Detroit vehicles were designed more for straight-line racing than a balance between acceleration, top speed, and road handling skills. That has changed now as the Big Three have returned to the street racing scene with a vengeance. More impressive is the fact that the Big Three have taken cars and visual themes from the days when muscle-cars ruled the road and built some amazingly affordable street racing monsters.

Ford’s Mustang has been refined and enhanced after losing its way in the mid-89s and early 90s. The new Mustang is as agile as it is powerful, but it is also a work of art. Drawing heavily from the late 60s and early 70s Mustang visual themes, there is absolutely nothing archaic about the modern Mustang. Lightweight components and incredibly high-tech engines have given imports a good reason to fear the prancing horse once again.

Chevrolet has also resurrected the Camaro after a short hiatus. The new Camaro also draws heavily on its muscle-car roots in terms of looks, but uses modern technology to achieve great handling. With 400 horsepower on tap and excellent slalom performance, the new Camaro is both a work of art and a force to be reckoned with at the stop light.

Perhaps the most anticipated retro-car concept to date is the Dodge Challenger. Combining Dodge’s resurrected Hemi technology with flowing lines that harken back to the tire-liquefying Challengers of the muscle-car era, the new Challenger is far more than it seems. Sure the new Challenger has good looks and more power than almost any sane person could want, with 425 ponies on tap, but it is far more than a straight line racing machine. The new Challenger ripped through Inside Line’s slalom at 66 miles per hour.

The resurgence of American street racing machines has not gone unnoticed by the competition. Nissan has recently updated its Z-line with the new 370, and nearly everyone else if following suit. Street racers of the world, you have officially been put on notice: Detroit is back.

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